The Right Thing To Do

We, at Reputation Today and the Promise Foundation, as organisers of PRAXIS, have taken a decision that we felt was the right thing to do. We have decided to postpone PRAXIS that was to be held in Kolkata in September this year to 2021. We will announce the new dates for the 9th edition in due course. However, in order to ensure that engagement and knowledge sharing of the professional community takes place, we propose to present SPECTRA – a day-long reputation management conference in two cities in the last quarter of this calendar year. This will be either online or offline, depending on the circumstances at that time and government directives that will come into play. We will announce dates for these at a later stage when we have a better sense of the various aspects of what will be the new normal.

The aim of this decision was two-fold:

One, we felt many would not be comfortable taking a flight and staying in a hotel.

Two, PRAXIS is an investment that organisations make annually to celebrate the profession and help bring the community alive in a physical space. This year things are different. If our plan to postpone the summit can help organisations save the money that they would have spent on flights and accommodation, we believe we would be doing our bit in helping save jobs at this difficult time. No doubt, it will deprive several people of the great opportunity to meet face to face. But lives and livelihoods come first. Fortunately, we at Reputation Today and the Promise Foundation are a lean organisation with a frugal approach, so we are in a good space to take this decision.

However, in our conversation with stakeholders prior to drafting this statement we realised that many would find that in the absence of an event of the stature of PRAXIS there would be a void. So, we are planning a more cost-effective alternative that will take place in NCR and Mumbai at a fraction of the cost that we would have spent on PRAXIS. Hence, by offering two one-day conferences in the two major metros later in the year, people in those cities will be able to avoid catching a flight and staying in a hotel. If feasible, we will aim to organise a day-long conference in Bangalore as well, but do not have visibility of the same at this time.

We will share more details about SPECTRA by July 15th. Kindly check the PRAXIS website in mid-July for more information on this new conference. We will also share updates on our social media feed. Those who have been to one or more of the previous editions of PRAXIS would be aware that there is nothing to match the PRAXIS experience. We are mindful that several delegates and few speakers had confirmed and had made plans to be in Kolkata on 18th and 19th September 2020. We understand that in many cases even flights were booked.

We also are grateful to over a dozen partners who had confirmed their intent to support the summit as of March 20th. To those who had registered online, a separate email has gone offering three options. They can make the choice by July 31st.

a) A full refund by September 15th or

b) A pass to Spectra when it happens or

c) To carry forward the registration to PRAXIS in 2021.

We hope you respect our decision. We are happy to hear your thoughts and be assured that we will address them. We are all in this together. The financial health of our partners and the mental health of the people we serve is paramount. The only currency we have as a community is our credibility. Let us use it to stand by each other. That is the right thing to do.

Reputation Today is India’s only print magazine for Public Relations and Corporate Communications professionals. It is the official magazine of PRAXIS - India’s largest offsite summit for Public Relations and Corporate Communications.